Pat Tillman Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE PAT TILLMAN FOUNDATION INVESTS IN MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS, VETERANS, AND SPOUSES THROUGH SCHOLARSHIPS, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, AND THROUGH EVENTS AND ENGAGEMENT, ALL OF WHICH PROVIDE A LIFELONG COMMUNITY COMMITTED TO SERVICE BEYOND SELF. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT WWW.PATTILLMANFOUNDATION.ORG.
- Income
- $5.8 million
- Spending
- $4.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 79%
- Reserves
- 12.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 96%
- Employees
- 22
- Volunteers
- 1,200
- Highest pay
- $218,664, ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 79% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 12.2 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 9% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 15% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 1% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1579% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2511 of 11 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $3.9 million spent. THE PROGRAMMATIC PILLAR OF THE PAT TILLMAN FOUNDATION IS THE TILLMAN SCHOLARS PROGRAM. FOUNDED IN 2009, THE PROGRAM INVESTS IN ACTIVE-DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS, VETERANS, AND MILITARY SPOUSES THROUGH ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT. SCHOLARSHIPS COVER DIRECT STUDY-RELATED EXPENSES, INCLUDING TUITION AND FEES, BOOKS, AND LIVING EXPENSES FOR SCHOLARS PURSUING UNDERGRADUATE, GRADUATE, OR PROFESSIONAL DEGREES AS FULL-TIME STUDENTS AT ACCREDITED, U.S.-BASED PUBLIC OR PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS. EACH YEAR, THE FOUNDATION SELECTS UP TO 60 TILLMAN SCHOLARS WHO DISPLAY THE SAME FOUR CHARACTERISTICS PAT TILLMAN DISPLAYED: SERVICE, SCHOLARSHIP, HUMBLE LEADERSHIP, AND IMPACT. SCHOLARS ARE SELECTED BASED ON EXTRAORDINARY ACADEMIC AND LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL, A TRACK RECORD OF PERSEVERANCE, AND A COMMITMENT TO CREATING MEANINGFUL, LASTING CHANGE ACROSS THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS. SINCE ITS INCEPTION, THE FOUNDATION HAS INVESTED OVER 40 MILLION IN TILLMAN SCHOLAR SCHOLARSHIPS AND PROGRAM SERVICE EXPENSES AND HAS NAMED 968 TILLMAN SCHOLARS AT MORE THAN 160 ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS NATIONWIDE. TILLMAN SCHOLARS REPRESENT ALL SIX BRANCHES OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY, INCLUDING THE NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVES, AS WELL AS MILITARY SPOUSES. DURING THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2025, THE FOUNDATION RECEIVED OVER 4,000 COMPLETE APPLICATIONS DURING THE MONTH-LONG SUBMISSION WINDOW. AFTER REVIEW BY REGIONAL AND FINAL SELECTION COMMITTEES, 42 SCHOLARS WERE SELECTED TO JOIN THE 16TH CLASS OF TILLMAN SCHOLARS. DURING THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2025, AND 2024, THE FOUNDATION AWARDED 1,341,188 AND 1,466,750 IN SCHOLARSHIPS, RESPECTIVELY. AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2025 AND 2024, THE BOARD HAS DESIGNATED 1,946,250 AND 1,939,500, RESPECTIVELY, FOR ANTICIPATED SCHOLARSHIP RENEWALS FOR CURRENT TILLMAN SCHOLARS. THE PROGRAMMATIC PILLAR OF THE PAT TILLMAN FOUNDATION IS THE TILLMAN SCHOLARS PROGRAM. FOUNDED IN 2009, THE PROGRAM INVESTS IN ACTIVE-DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS, VETERANS, AND MILITARY SPOUSES THROUGH ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT. SCHOLARSHIPS COVER DIRECT STUDY-RELATED EXPENSES, INCLUDING TUITION AND FEES, BOOKS, AND LIVING EXPENSES FOR SCHOLARS PURSUING UNDERGRADUATE, GRADUATE, OR PROFESSIONAL DEGREES AS FULL-TIME STUDENTS AT ACCREDITED, U.S.-BASED PUBLIC OR PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS. EACH YEAR, THE FOUNDATION SELECTS UP TO 60 TILLMAN SCHOLARS WHO DISPLAY THE SAME FOUR CHARACTERISTICS PAT TILLMAN DISPLAYED: SERVICE, SCHOLARSHIP, HUMBLE LEADERSHIP, AND IMPACT. SCHOLARS ARE SELECTED BASED ON EXTRAORDINARY ACADEMIC AND LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL, A TRACK RECORD OF PERSEVERANCE, AND A COMMITMENT TO CREATING MEANINGFUL, LASTING CHANGE ACROSS THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS. SINCE ITS INCEPTION, THE FOUNDATION HAS INVESTED OVER 40 MILLION IN TILLMAN SCHOLAR SCHOLARSHIPS AND PROGRAM SERVICE EXPENSES AND HAS NAMED 968 TILLMAN SCHOLARS AT MORE THAN 160 ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS NATIONWIDE. TILLMAN SCHOLARS REPRESENT ALL SIX BRANCHES OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY, INCLUDING THE NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVES, AS WELL AS MILITARY SPOUSES. DURING THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2025, THE FOUNDATION RECEIVED OVER 4,000 COMPLETE APPLICATIONS DURING THE MONTH-LONG SUBMISSION WINDOW. AFTER REVIEW BY REGIONAL AND FINAL SELECTION COMMITTEES, 42 SCHOLARS WERE SELECTED TO JOIN THE 16TH CLASS OF TILLMAN SCHOLARS. DURING THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2025, AND 2024, THE FOUNDATION AWARDED 1,341,188 AND 1,466,750 IN SCHOLARSHIPS, RESPECTIVELY. AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2025 AND 2024, THE BOARD HAS DESIGNATED 1,946,250 AND 1,939,500, RESPECTIVELY, FOR ANTICIPATED SCHOLARSHIP RENEWALS FOR CURRENT TILLMAN SCHOLARS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since August 2004.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
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